Ed's chicken sounds? *update* [Now Al?]

[Scythe]

I can't remember if he's always done this since I got him last week, but it's clicking in my mind now that this is a little weird, now that I've gotten to know the Boys a little better. But the more I think on the difference in sounds between Ed and Roy/Al, I wonder if maybe there's something going on with Ed?

Neither Roy nor Al make this sound, and Ed continuously does it(especially on my shoulder, though maybe since he's closer to my ears, I just notice it easier). It sounds almost like a chicken clucking. I can't describe it for the life of me. I thought at first it might be bruxing, but then compared to the other two... it doesn't sound like it at all.

Ed's the most skittish of the three, as well. He's only three months old, and very skinny. I took a video and had him sit beside the camera closest to where the microphone holes are so you can hear the sound he makes -- so he's not actualy in the video, he's behind the camera. I don't know if maybe you might have to turn up the volume or not to hear it. The video is here.

Is that something I should be worried about, or something that might pass? Roy nor Al do it, and from what I can tell, Ed only does it when hes outside of the cage. Aside from being a little skittish, he still explores, runs around, jumps across the cage, etc. Nothing seems out of the ordinary between he and the other two, aside from this sound. I read somewhere that chirping is a sign of a respiratory illness, and now it's really freaking me out... He's only three/four months old, and I've only had him for a week; I don't want something to happen to him already.

edit; I just put him back in his cage, and sat there listening to them all for a few minutes, and he continued to make that strange sound. So he is still doing it inthe cage, I suppose, and I just didn't hear it until now.

 

[trexgorawrrrrr]

where did you get them from? you've only had them for a week, so just curious where they came from? did they come from a petshop. if they came from a petshop they most likely are sick with a resp. infection. it's easily treatible. my two baby boys had it when they were only 4 weeks. i got them medicine, they took it twice a day by mouth with a syringe, and then two weeks later they were as good as new.

...sounds like he might have a resp. infection, and if he does... you need to listen very carefully to the others. because if they don't have it, they will get it. but most likely they have it and you don't notice them making the noise. what about like a weezing sound or gargeling sound. do the other two make those types of noises?

the only way to really know is by taking him to the vet. especially if you've never had a rat with a resp. infection it could be hard to decypher the noises.

 

[Scythe]

They came from someone on Kijiji who was getting rid of them; the three of them were all together and I took them all. Before that, I'm not sure where they came from.

The other two don't make a sound, but I suppose you're right, who knows at this point since they've only been here for a week.

Is there any specific medication I should be inquiring about or requesting when I take him to the vet? They haven't been to the vet yet for an initial examination, either, so I guess this is a good lesson how unexpectedly these guys are going to raid my bank account, haha.

I'm really worried now, arg. I hope by some stroke of luck by god that this is nothing...

 

[Maple]

They were fine and very healthy when we picked them up. The family that had them seemed to do a good job. Many rats develop URI from the stress of moving to a new home with new family. A vet will give you Baytril and as you will catch it early, he will recover just fine. Don't worry this is normal.

 

[Scythe]

Alright... Should I take Roy and Al to be checked, too? Just in case they could have gotten it too? Though I've got Roy's chest to my ear, practically, and I don't hear anything strange... Al, too. I've never taken a trio to the vet before, or dealt with a URI. I'm assuming all three go with me, though.

What should I expect from this all? This is a first for me, hah. Nothing to panic over, though, right? He should be okay even if a vet cant take him for the next day or two?

A bit of a worry wart, sorry. :doh:

 

[Scythe]

Well, all vet offices were closed yesterday so I couldn't make an appointment. But first thing this morning, I called the vet office around the corner from my house -- and they don't take rats, but they referred me to another one. I planned to call when I got into work since thats when the vet would be open, but one of our Pet care staff told me to look into another place, because she heard from the PC Manager that they werent that great with rats(and I trust her -- our manager is the one who takes our sick animals to the vet). And I decided to just take her word on it, I'm not risking it.

Instead, they referred me to another place that's closer to my house(which is a bonus, because it's snowing.....) and I called and asked a ton of questions and it all seemed alright with me. I'll be asking more when I get in, I'm sure, lol. So Ed is going to the vet in about an hour and a half.

I'd have taken him to Dr Munn if it wasn't snowing pretty bad.

Does anyone have any suggestions on anything else I might have missed to determine if this guy is a good vet for the rats? If he turns out to be very good with them, Im going to be very happy since it's so close to home.

 

[jorats]

The vet will listen to his lungs which is what would be the problem if he's making these noises. It doesn't take an experienced vet to know if the lungs are bad or not. If the lungs or even nasal passages are affected, your little guy should get Baytril. If it's a severe enough case, he should also get doxy.

 

[Scythe]

Im not sure that visit went exactly smoothly, but I hope I did the right thing.

It was kind of clear that the vet wasn't entirely sure about his facts. That, or he just has a stutter. I explained the noise Ed makes when he breathes, that sometimes he has dried poryphrin(the vet looked at me funny and I had to explain what it was, he thought i was just blood on eds nose) on his nose. That today, he's started chirping when he breathes. But otherwise, he's happy and energetic and he still eats(though not outside the cage).

He checked his ears, eyes, then his nose and his teeth. He checked Ed's temperature(this caught me by shock... Was not expected?). He weighed Ed(217g, I believe. It's grams, right?). He listened to his chest for breathing, then he checked his back for breathing. And right off the bat he said, "Oh, I don't know... I'm not 100% confident." And then he said hes not positive, but it could be an upper respiratory infection."

I asked what to do despite already knowing everyone suggested baytrill, because I wanted to hear what he'd said. The first options out of his mouth were, in order:

1. Needle. :rant:
2. Oral Medication.

Though I admit I was just hesitant about the needle. I had a gut feeling that a needle was a big no no, despite the fact that I couldn't remember for the life of me why or where i had learned it. So I went with my gut and told him No.

But he prescribed him baytrill and he's supposed to get .13cc twice a day for 14 days? and then he gave a little bit extra 'in case i spill some' or ed spits some out. I asked him if I should do anything for Roy or Al just in case they've got it too, and he said... Essentially, "I'm giving you a bit extra in case you spill some. If you are confident in medicating all of them, go ahead. Im giving you the medication. From here on it's your job."

I don't think I'm really gonna ever be going back to this vet, and I hope I made all the right decisions and whatnot when I was there.

...Sigh. Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with a URI? If I should do something regarding the other two?

 

[trexgorawrrrrr]

going with your gut feeling was the best decision. especially since your vet didn't know what he was doing or talking about, i wouldn't let him stick a needle anywhere. did you suggest baytril? because i'm wondering if he got that from you and just perscribed it.

as for the other two... i'm not sure. i've always heard that if one has it and they're all in the cage together... then most likely the rest have it. maybe another forum member can help me out here because i'm not positive. but i do know that both of my rats when i first got them (around 4 weeks) both of my boys had to be treated for the URI. and i had to give them the meds twice a day 12 hours apart for 2 weeks. i stopped giving them medicine a couple days shy of two weeks because they had diarrhea, and by that time i was confident they wern't sick anymore.

and i suggest that you find another vet. did this one say he was an exotic pet vet or delt with small animals. i do admit though that pet rats aren't as common of pets, but it's important to have someone experienced.

 

[Maple]

Mark down his weight just for future reference, its always good to know in case he has a sudden weight loss for one reason or another. It doesn't sound like he is an exotic vet but that's OK, he gave you Baytril which is what he needs. If your not 100% confident, DON'T GO BACK. Are you sure he is only 217 grams, that seems a little light. I would give him the Baytril until it runs out and watch him for any change (good or bad). Your on top of things and it sounds like you caught it in time. Don't panic he will be just fine. As for the other 2, leave them be. Don't take them to the vet or medicate if they appear to be OK and acting normal.
Your doing a great job Scythe. :thumbup:

 

[Scythe]

Yeah, he prescribed Baytril. When he said Oral Medication I asked if that was the one and he said yes, and thats the one I got.

I'm not positive on it either, but I only got about 20ml(I think it was) of it. I tried to push for extra just in case, but I don't think the extra is going to treat all three of them for two weeks. But they are young and healthy otherwise, and apparently I got this early, so maybe it will disappear quicker and the other two didn't get it. *crosses fingers

I'm definitely not going back there, though. I had another vet I was planning on but the weather today was just too cold and it was snowing, I didn't feel safe trekking out there with Ed. I only went for close to home and aiming for Baytril so Ed wouldn't have to go far.

The only thing that was odd about the other two recently is that shortly after I made this topic, I found a lot of wet poryphrin on Al's nose, like he had a running nose, but I keep checking and I havent seen it since. I put down light bedding incase he rubs it off or whipes it with his paws or something.

The downside in having three boys in the cage is that Ed will make the sound and freak me out making me think it came from someone else when it didnt, because they're huddled so close! Little brat! :rant:

I'm pretty sure it was 217grams, but he's also the smallest boy in the group. He's still pretty much skin and bones, if I think about it I can feel his ribs when I pet him. I'm hoping that with better rat block(they probably got a seed mix before) he'll fatten up and get as big as the other two.

And of course, trying to give the medication(it smells like tutti frutti...), he's the only one who doesn't want it. Roy and Al could only smell it and hey were ready to throw him off the second level for the stuff, but Ed didn't want it at all. My luck! he's going to drive me crazy! anic:

 

[jorats]

20mls of oral Baytril is a lot! You should be able to treat your boy for a while with that. What was the dose prescribed?

 

[user 1405]

Don't worry about it too much, every rat is unique. For example, I feed my guys a rotating lab block, pellet/seed mix to help keep them interested in their food. Titan will grab a block, munch on it a bit and then bury it somewhere. Snickers will grab one, and take his time chewing on it. Chester and Gizmo go to town on the things. However, they aren't too keen on the pellets, but they'll eat them. Just not as voraciously. lol

 

[Scythe]

20mls of oral Baytril is a lot! You should be able to treat your boy for a while with that. What was the dose prescribed?

He's to get .13cc of baytril twice a day for 14 days. Maybe it is a lot and it just doesnt look like it to me because I'm new to this, LOL. The bottle says "6 Baytril 20mg/ml". Then it's got what dosage to give him.

 

[Maple]

20mls of oral Baytril is a lot! You should be able to treat your boy for a while with that. What was the dose prescribed?

I think the dose prescribed is .13cc twice a day for 14 days which seems alittle high for a 217gram boy.
Scythe, if your having trouble giving the meds, put it in something soft like a piece of cookie, cake, muffin etc, he'll eat it. I would also try and get some weight on him if you can feel his ribs. I find pablum (baby cereal) mixed with cream contains alot of fat and all the vitamins, minerals etc his body will need and most ratties like it so its easy to feed.
Don't panic new rattie mummy, in no time at all you will be a pro and any questions you have....keep asking, there is always someone that can help you out.

 

[Scythe]

Yeah, I definitely want to fatten him up. I think it's the other two taking advantage of him being so tiny. A lot of the time if I give them something, I have to be careful to do it in an order so everyones distracted when Ed gets something, or they take it from him. Al, especially, is huge, and he's the main problem about it.

Hmm. Maybe I mixed up the numbers? Would 271g make more sense? I tried to weigh him in a little container on a scale earlier but it was saying Roy was like in the high end of 300-400g range, and that just didn't seem right so I don't know how well to trust it. I tried getting Ed to double check, but he kept making the scale go nuts because even if i gave him a treat, he didnt wanna sit still.

Also, it's in liquid form, im not sure how the muffin or cookie thing would work, LOL. Would I be able to mix it with some strawberry quick or something, even if it's already mixed with something for taste? He just doesnt seem to like tutti fruitti, haha.

 

[pscychopomp]

Cookie might be too dense and dry, but muffin should be able to absorb it, maybe try bread too...I use bread to drop echinacea on, but I've never seen baytril so I don't know the consistency.

 

[Scythe]

Someone I know suggested mixing it with a tiny bit of jam, put it on bread, and roll the piece of bread up and give it to him like it's a treat. Would this be okay, if he'd take it? Trying to force the syringe down his throat doesnt do either of us any good, it just makes his breathing heavier because he freaks out so bad.

 

[Maple]

Forcing it is only good if your fast. I find the soft cookie is the best. Those Italian ones by Milano (can't stand them myself) work great because they hold liquid well. Anything small and sweet is good as rats love their sweets.

 

[Moon]

.13 mls is a lot, but it depends on the strength of the baytril. Is there any information on the bottle? It should say a number with mg/ml on the end.

He really should be getting more than two weeks worth.... three is more is preferred. As for medicating them all, don't unless you are seeing symptoms (excessive sneezing, chest noises, etc).... a Myco flareup doesn't mean that all the rats will be sick.

Good luck!